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It was a sha could not rejoice

Gregor cliued His wound was only just healing, and the long day had taken its toll, but it wasn’t only that

Being here, being ho at his defenses

He hadn’t realized it would be so difficult to keep aloof from the memories They encircled him, surrounded him, demanded he pay heed to theht hih, else he could not have survived, but theunder his barricades

This staircase, for instance He re down here, the steps als He re to slide down the banister and alstone floor below His hed

“He’s a braw lad!” he had declared “A proper Grant!”

There would be no proper Grants here, not anyhost…

“Gregor?”

She was standing at the head of the stairs, her hand on the newel post, her hair a brilliant halo in the light from the candle in the sconce on the wall behind her He couldn’t see her face—only the shape of her, the curves of her, against the candle glow

He heard his own breath suck in, as every inch of him went on alert

They stood a longdown and he up And then she turned her face to the side, and the light shone on her cheeks and the glitter of tears

“Meg? What is it? What’s happened?”

She shook her head, holding out her hand to prevent hi her as he came halfway up the stairs toward her “I have just spoken to my father, and he has told e or weep”

Spoken to her father? Then she knew! And she was crying? It did not bode well for her answer Gregor stood and waited, uncertainly, while she found a plain handkerchief in her sleeve and used it to ave a bitter, shaky laugh

“Well, say soor My father says you are willing to participate in this…this farce If that is so, then tell h I think I already know your reason”